The following edition of the text was used in the creation of this study guide: Malamud, Bernard. “The Prison”. The Magic Barrel. Vintage, 2002. Kindle AZW file.

In Bernard Malamud’s short story "The Prison," the protagonist, Tommy Castelli, is a man trapped in a life of regret and monotony. At twenty-nine, Tommy feels suffocated by his circumstances. As a young man, he had dreams of escaping the poverty of his tenement neighborhood, but bad decisions derailed those ambitions. After getting involved in petty crime, Tommy was forced into an arranged marriage with Rosa Agnello, a woman he neither loved nor found attractive, and they opened a candy store bought for Tommy by Rosa’s father. This store, which was supposed to provide him with an honest living only deepened his sense of entrapment, as it became a symbol of his unfulfilled life and failed aspirations.

Tommy’s daily routine is one of boredom and frustration. He works long hours, trapped in the store from morning until late at night, with only short breaks to sleep or go to the movies. Despite occasionally attempting to make money through underhanded schemes, such as installing a slot machine in the store, each plan fails, and Tommy is left feeling powerless and stuck in a life he despises.

One day, a ten-year-old girl from the neighborhood, who regularly buys colored tissue paper for crafts, catches Tommy’s attention when he notices her stealing candy from the store. Instead of confronting her, Tommy is overcome by conflicting emotions. He is reminded of his own troubled youth and feels an inexplicable urge to help the girl, fearing that her stealing might set her on a similar path to his own failed life. Despite his strong desire to warn her and prevent her from making mistakes, Tommy’s inability to communicate his feelings keeps him silent. He struggles with the role of being a reformer, unsure of how to approach the girl without frightening her.

As the girl continues to steal, Tommy tries indirect methods to stop her, such as clearing out the candy tray she steals from or leaving a note hidden in a chocolate bar that warns her of the consequences of her actions. Tommy is disappointed when the girl does not come to the store at her usual time, meaning she does not steal the candy bar containing his note. He takes a nap upstairs. When he comes back to the store, he finds Rosa violently shaking the girl and accusing her of stealing. Horrified, Tommy pulls Rosa away from the girl, who is visibly terrified. Tommy slaps Rosa, but he hits her harder than intended, leaving her dazed and bleeding. Just then, the girl's mother arrives. Rosa accuses the girl of theft, but Tommy covers for her, claiming he let her take the candy. The mother angrily strikes her daughter, calling her a thief and threatening to punish her severely. As the mother drags her away, the girl turns back at Tommy and defiantly sticks out her tongue.